Running To Lose Weight

How Quickly Can You Lose Weight By Running? 

Well, by running I mean jogging really.  If you feel like you would like to give this a try, then read through the guide below to see how running to lose weight can help you.

If you're like me and have never jogged before, and running to catch a bus is about to give you a cardiac arrest or you need a puff on your inhaler, then you might find this a refreshing beginners guide to jogging to lose weight.

Clothing

I know this sounds obvious but you must wear the right clothing.  Shorts or jogging bottoms and a stretch top are needed.  You don't want to be wearing anything tight that you feel uncomfortable in or will rub against your skin.

You'll also need a good pair of trainers that fit perfectly and are comfortable.  They are going to get a hammering so they need to be stong.

Warm-Up

Do a few stretches of your thighs and calves before you leave the house.  Also don't forget to do stretches after your run.

The Jog!

If you have done no jogging or exercise for a while, then I would suggest that you start off by doing a brisk walk for 20 minutes for the first week.  No jogging yet.  This will get you used to the routine and will start to get you strengthening your leg muscles.

Now you are going to start off with a 10 minute jog.  Yes that's all.  Start off with walking for 1 minute and jogging for 1 minute.  Do this for 10 minutes.

The next night walk for 1 minute and jog for 2 minutes.  Third night, walk for 1 minute and jog for 3 minutes. Continue this until you can jog for the whole 10 minutes.

You must go at your own pace.  Don't push yourself too hard.  If it takes you three weeks only jogging for 3 minutes until you reach the 5 minute hurdle, then so be it.

Try to have a rest between jogging days, but make sure you do this routine at least three times a week.

Once you have mastered jogging for the full 10 minutes, then increase it to 15 mintues, then 20 minutes and so on.

What Weight Loss To Expect

You should really follow a calorie controlled diet to help you with your weight loss.  Running to lose weight will take a lot longer if you are going home then eating a pizza or stopping off at the fish and chip shop on the way home!

For a general guideline, you should burn approximately 500 calories more than you consume per day.  This is where following a controlled diet will aid with your weight loss as you could cut back on 250 calories by eating the right foods and burn 250 calories by exercising.  It would be very extreme and difficult to lose weight by running on it's own.

If you burn the 500 calories per day, then you should achieve a weight loss of approximately 1lb a week.  If you want to lose more weight per week, then burn more calories by either lowering the number of calories you eat; jog more often and further; or for best results do a combination of the two.

Once you have got your routine going running to lose weight will be as easy as taking a shower!

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